Instagram Introduces New Safety Controls to Combat Online Harassment

Instagram has recently announced the expansion of its “limits” feature, aimed at providing users with more control over their online interactions. This new safety control allows users to hide Direct Messages (DMs) and comments from accounts that may be harassing them. Initially designed to help creators deal with harassment campaigns, the feature is now available to all users facing unwanted messages and comments.

With the new limits feature, users can now mute incoming messages from everyone except those on their close friends list. This provides a way to filter out unwanted noise without completely disconnecting from a supportive community. By limiting interactions to only close friends, users will only see DMs, tags, and mentions from individuals on their list.

Users also have the option to view or ignore limited comments and DMs. The feature allows accounts to be limited for up to four weeks, with the option to extend this period. By enabling limits in the settings, users can choose to restrict interactions from accounts that are not following them, recent followers, or everyone except their close friends.

In addition to the expanded limits feature, Instagram has also enhanced its restrict feature. Users can now prevent a specific account from tagging or mentioning them, as well as hiding their comments. These enhancements aim to provide users with more control over their online interactions and protect them from potential harassment.

These new safety controls come at a time when Instagram is facing increased scrutiny over the safety of its young users. Meta, Instagram’s parent company, has recently implemented measures to protect minors, such as preventing adults from messaging minors by default. Additionally, the company has taken steps to hide content related to suicide and eating disorders from teenage users.

Instagram’s new safety controls represent a step in the right direction towards combatting online harassment and ensuring a safer environment for all users. By providing users with more control over their interactions and enhancing existing features, Instagram is actively working towards creating a safer online community.